A Montreal health network diverted ambulances from its facilities, including the Royal Victoria Hospital, and cancelled outpatient and surgical appointments after a water main break early Friday left its superhospital site without drinkable water.
In an update early Friday afternoon, the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) said that the situation is being “resolved.”
“Technical Services are monitoring the situation as the water pressure comes back and ensuring a safe return to normal. The collaboration with the City of Montreal will continue throughout the day,” the MUHC said in a statement on its website.
“Clinical services will ramp up over the course of the day, including ER, surgeries and ambulatory services.”
The update comes after the MUHC said the “major aqueduct failure” early Thursday night left all facilities without potable water at its Glen site in the city’s Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough.
Along with Royal Victoria Hospital, the aqueduct failure also affected Cedars Cancer Centre, Montreal Chest Institute, Montreal Children’s Hospital and the Research Institute of the MUHC. The Glen site is considered a “superhospital” because it is composed of several medical centres.
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A City of Montreal spokesman said Friday that authorities first learned of the water main break about 1:30 a.m. but waited until about 7:30 a.m. to shut the valve to give the hospital flexibility and allow it to continue operating as long as possible.
“The hospital only has half the water pressure they usually get, it’s not sufficient to ensure the hospital will be able to conduct all their normal operations,” said Philippe Sabourin.
Sabourin says the leak in the 12-inch pipe will be found and repaired, an operation that could take about a day. Road traffic in the area is closed while the work is done.
“The main concern at this point for the city is to provide enough (water) pressure in the network of the MUHC so the hospital can return to normal operations as soon as possible,” Sabourin said.
All surgeries except emergency procedures were cancelled Friday; chemotherapy patients were receiving treatment as scheduled. Patients and staff were being given bottled water.
— with files from Global’s Kalina Laframboise
© 2024 The Canadian Press
